A World at War
by lokisrightatrium
Summary: Eir Einarsdóttir married Loki Odinson when she was 20 years old. When there was a battle between the Valkyrie and a foe, Eir was thought to be dead. Little did the Asgardians know, she has been waiting on Midgard for the past thousand years. Loki x OC, Loki/OC. RATED T FOR LANGUAGE.
1. Chapter 1

_She_ _'_ _d been trapped on Earth for hundreds of years, after the fight. She was young when it began. Too young, 20 years old. Barely making the minimum age for Valkryie training. She sped through it, given the fact she was a goddess. After the fight was finished and the Valkyrie defeated, Eir contacted the gatekeeper of Asgard to bring her back. As she was travelling through the Bifrost, she was knocked out, sending her falling through Space, where she eventually crashed onto Earth._

-0-

 **2011, Puente Antiguo, New Mexico**

"Jane, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, they say that she doesn't like visitors."

"Darcy, just shush and follow me," Jane replied, walking up to the door, knocking twice. "Ms. Miller? We would like to ask you some questions."

The door opened, letting Darcy and Jane take a look at Ms Miller. She was young, maybe late twenties. She had brown eyes and red hair pulled back into a low ponytail. She was wearing jeans and a button up.

"What kind of questions?" She asked, opening the door only slightly more. Her accent was Scottish.

Jane looked at Darcy and offered her a small smile. "Well, Ms Miller, we were wondering if the accounts were true. Of you witnessing a scientific anomaly a few years ago."

"Aye, a while ago. I don't see why yer pokin' about it now."

"Could we come in and talk a bit more? It's really hot out here," Jane offered. The woman eyed her a bit and stepped aside, letting the two women in. "Thank you."

"Would ye like some tea? Or coffee? I have stronger stuff if ye want it, ye ken?"

"Oh no thanks, we just want to ask you some questions and then we'll be on our way."

Ms Miller led them to her living room and motioned for them to sit on the couches.

"Ye can call me Nadia. Nadia Miller."

"I'm Jane, and this is Darcy. She's my intern."

"Hello," Nadia nodded to Darcy. "Ask away."

"Right. I'm working with a close friend on scientific anomalies and many people mentioned your name. Could you tell us what you saw or felt that day?"

"Aye. I saw a bright light. It was rainbow-coloured. It looked like a tornado, but it was moving too fast to be a tornado, ye ken? And then it went away. It left strange marks in the grass, and there was a…" she paused and brought her hand to a necklace fashioned around her neck. It was a _Rod of Asclepius_ hanging lone from a silver chain. "It was just this necklace. I thought there was something special about it, but I canna place it."

Jane looked at Darcy. Darcy looked unimpressed but Jane was ecstatic. "Would you come with us tomorrow? We're going to be tracking an anomaly predicted by a geomagnetic storm."

"Aye, I'll come with ye," Nadia replied after a beat. "As long as there's whiskey."

"Whiskey?"

"Aye. Whiskey."

"Whi-"

"Fine, we'll bring your _whiskey,_ " Darcy cut in, imitating Nadia's Scottish accent.

"Then I shall see ye tomorrow. What time and where?"

"Maybe 9-ish? You know where the diner is on Main, right?"

"Aye," Nadia nodded.

"We'll meet there, then."

-0-

 **21:00, Jean** **'** **s Diner, Puente Antiguo, New Mexico**

"Nadia!" Jane called as she saw the Scot cross the road. Nadia raised a hand in greeting and made her way over to the van that Jane and Darcy were standing by.

"Can ye tell me why we're meeting by a rusty old van?" Nadia asked, kicking the dirty tires.

"This was my father's. He also used it for work."

Nadia nodded. "Shall we?"

"First, I want to introduce you to Dr Selvig, my partner. He was friends with my father and now we work together," Jane motioned towards an older man.

"Hello," Nadia said, holding out her hand for Selvig to shake. "I'm Nadia Miller."

"Erik Selvig. Erik is alright," he replied, shaking her hand.

" _Er du Norsk?_ _"_ Nadia asked. Erik grew a smile and chuckled.

" _Ja, det er jeg! Er du Norsk?_ "

" _Fjernt_."

"Okay guys, while this is nice, should we get going?" Darcy asked, clearly bored.

"Aye," Nadia replied, followed by a "yes" from Jane. They all climbed into the van, Darcy at the wheel. They drove off into the desert, following Jane's geomagnetic maps. After they drove for a few kilometres, Darcy parked the van, and Jane opened the roof panels. She popped her head out and positioned a magnetometer.

"Hurry!" Jane called. Erik was surprised by her shouting and banged his head on the roof of the van. He climbed out next to her. "Oh, watch your head."

"Thanks. So, what's this 'anomaly' of yours supposed to look like?"

"Nadia said it was like a big column of light, kinda like a tornado. She also said there were rainbows."

"Nae, Jane. I said it was rainbow-coloured," Nadia said from the van.

"What she said. Darcy, pass up the bubbly and my gloves, will you?" Jane asked. Darcy handed the champagne and the gloves through the window. Jane handed the champagne to Erik while she slipped on the gloves. They were too large and masculine for her small hands. Erik began to unwrap the foil around the champagne but Jane stopped him. "Not until you see it!"

Erik looked at the gloves. "I recognize those. Think of how proud he'd be to see you now."

"Thank you," Jane whispered, sporting a sad smile.

"For what?"

"The benefit of the doubt."

After that, the two looked at the night sky. Jane was expecting something, _anything_ , to happen. When she saw nothing, she got worried.

"Nadia? Could you come up here?"

"Aye, I'm coming," Nadia replied, climbing up with a bottle of opened whiskey in her hand.

"I see you've found the whiskey."

"Aye," Nadia said, taking a swig. "Good whiskey, too."

"It's never taken this long. What was going on before you saw the anomaly?"

"I dinna see anything. It was just the sky."

"Can I turn on the radio?" Darcy shouted.

"Sure," Jane replied sarcastically. "if you like rocking out to KFRM, 'All agriculture, all the time'."

Jane headed back down into the van. Erik followed her, but Nadia stayed up. Suddenly, a wind picked up, making Nadia look towards the northeastern side of the desert. She saw odd, glowing clouds form.

"Jane?" Nadia called. She heard Darcy calling for Jane as well.

"Not now, the both of you."

"But, lass, ye might want to see this."

Nadia heard a glass break and cork being popped. She looked down into the van to see champagne pouring onto the many different machines Jane had down there. Jane and Erik looked out the window at the rainbow clouds.

"Holy… Shatner." Jane exclaimed.

"That's your 'subtle' aurora?!" Erik asked her.

"No-yes! Let's go!"

Darcy sped off, Nadia barely making it back down safely. The roof panels were still open, and Nadia could see the sky. Jane stood back up, taping the storm before them. Then, the van hit a bump, making Jane nearly fly out. Erik grabbed her and pulled her down. Nadia closed the roof panels for good measure.

"Isn't this great!" She laughed. "You're seeing this too, right? I'm not crazy?"

"That's debatable," Erik told her. "Put your seat belt on!"

The group saw as an enormous tornado came out of the clouds, touching the ground. Jane clambered into the front seat, taping the rainbow tornado.

"You've got to get us closer so I can take a magnetic reading," Jane told Darcy. Darcy laughed, not believing her.

"Yeah, right! Good one!" Darcy said. She then realized that Jane was being serious. "Oh god, you're serious."

"You want those college credits or not?"

The van sped through the desert, Jane still leaning out the window. Suddenly, there was a loud noise as lightning struck through the middle of the tornado. Darcy turned the wheel and began driving away from the storm.

"Keep the credits. I'll intern at Burger King." Darcy shouted.

"What are you doing?!"

"Saving our lives!" Darcy said. Jane grabbed the wheel and jerked it hard the other way. They struggled for control of the wheel. The headlights turned on and they saw a man. Darcy slammed on the brakes, and Jane yanked the wheel as to avoid him. The van swerved but it was too late. The side of the van hit the man and sent him flying. The van skidded to a stop. After a moment, everyone clambered out of the van. They raced over to the man, but Nadia stopped a few paces away, recognizing him. She muttered something under her breath and then continued on her way to him. She pushed Jane and Erik out of her way and bent beside the man.

"I think that was legally your fault," Darcy told Jane. Nadia examined the man.

"Do ye have a first aid kit?" Nadia looked up at Jane.

"Darcy, get the first aid kit," Jane said. Darcy headed back to the van to search for it. Nadia was still crouching down by the man, Erik and Jane standing. Nadia muttered something again, placing her hands on either side of his head. She closed her eyes. Suddenly, the man groaned and opened his eyes. Nadia let out a breath and the man stared confusedly at her.

" _Eir?_ "

-0-

 **TRANSLATIONS:**

\- _Er du Norsk? = Are you Norwegian?_

 _\- Ja, det er jeg! Er du Norsk? = Yes, I am!_ _Are you Norwegian?_

 _\- Fjernt. = Distantly._

I apologise if some of it is wrong! I speak very little Norwegian.


	2. Chapter 2

_She_ _'_ _d been trapped on Earth for hundreds of years, after the fight. She was young when it began. Too young, 20 years old. Barely making the minimum age for Valkryie training. She sped through it, given the fact she was a goddess. After the fight was finished and the Valkyrie defeated, Eir contacted the gatekeeper of Asgard to bring her back. As she was travelling through the Bifrost, she was knocked out, sending her falling through Space, where she eventually crashed onto Earth._

-0-

"No, I'm Nadia, _bror._ I'm not Eir on this land," Nadia whispered to him, being careful so that the others didn't hear. Darcy came back with the first aid kit.

"Wow. Does he need CPR? Because I know CPR," she announced. She gave the kit to Nadia.

"His eyes-"

"Are beautiful," Darcy cut in.

"Are dilating. 'Tis a good sign," Nadia told them.

"We still have to get him to a hospital," Erik said.

"After we get a reading on the storm?" Jane asked, hopeful.

"Nae, lassie. He needs it immediately."

"Right," she nodded. "Where did he come from?"

-0-

 _"_ _Heimdall?_ _"_ _She thought._ _"_ _Are ye there?_ _"_

 _"_ _Yes, my child. I_ _'_ _m here._ _"_

 _"_ _Are the bairns alright?_ _"_

 _"_ _Yes, my child. The princes are safe._ _"_

 _"_ _Then that_ _'_ _s it for me, aye? I ain_ _'_ _t needed anymore._ _"_

 _"_ _Of course you are, Eir,_ _"_ _Heimdall reassured her._ _"_ _You will be needed in the years to come. I_ _'_ _m not supposed to tell you this, Eir, so you mustn_ _'_ _t tell anyone. But, you_ _'_ _ll become a Valkyrie._ _"_

 _"_ _A Valkyrie?!_ _"_ _she exclaimed._ _"_ _Are ye sure?_ _"_

 _"_ _Yes, my child,_ _"_ _he chuckled._ _"_ _I have seen it._ _"_

-0-

"Name?" The nurse asked.

"Thor," Nadia told her.

"T-H-O-R," the nurse spelt. "And your relationship to him?"

"The fool's my brother-in-law," She replied. Darcy and Jane walked over to her.

"Yeah, she hit him with a car," Darcy told the nurse, unaware of what Nadia had told her.

"Grazed him, actually," Jane corrected. She also didn't know. "Oh, and we tasered him too."

The nurse looked at the women with a sympathetic face. "Must've been quite a spat."

"Aye, it was. We just want to make sure the lad's okay."

"I'm going to need a name and contact number," the nurse told them. Jane stepped forward. "I was actually hoping that his sister would be his contact."

"Sister?" Jane asked.

"Nadia Miller. Here's my card, just take it and get it over with."

"You're his sister?"

"Sister-in-law. Haven't seen the fool in a while."

"But-"

"Dinna fash yerself, lass. Ask yer questions later."

They walked out of the hospital.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Erik asked Nadia. "He is your brother after all."

"Like I've said, I hardly know the lad. I'm married to his brother, that's it. I haven't seen him in a while."

"As you keep telling us," Jane said. "But that doesn't mean anything. Where is he from? Where are _you_ from?"

"I'll answer yer questions later. Can ye take me home now?"

-0-

The next day, Nadia woke up from the sound of her mobile ringing.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Nadia?"

"Jane? Why are ye calling me at 8 in the morn?"

"It's your brother. We can't find him."

"What de ye mean, ye canna find him? He's a big brute, he's pretty easy to spot."

"Could you come to the- holy shit."

"Jane?"

"We're coming to your house," Jane replied and then hung up the phone. Nadia sighed and got ready. 10 minutes later, there was furious knocking on her front door. As she swung the door opened, she was pulled into a tight hug.

"Eir," Thor muttered. "I thought you were dead."

"Aye. For a while, I thought the same," she replied. Thor released her, and she stepped aside to let the group in.

"Jane hit him again," Darcy told Nadia as she walked into the living room.

"You still owe us an explanation," Erik muttered.

"Aye, I do. But fer now, I think my brother here is in need of proper clothes. I think I have some that'll fit ye. Ye've grown, Thor."

"You still have that strange accent," Thor joked.

"And ye're still a dolt," she remarked. "Hold on a mo'."

She came back with a shirt and a flannel, jeans, and a pair of boots.

"These'll work for ye."

"How do you have these?" Thor asked. "Have you been unfaithful-"

"I ken what ye're going to ask, and the answer is no. It belonged to my friend. _Friend_ , mind ye. He moved away a few months ago."

Thor nodded, happy with the answer, and left to go change.

"Nadia, you owe us this. Who are you? Who is he?"

"I'm trusting that Erik knows his Norwegian mythology. Thor, God of Thunder, son of Odin Allfather. He's my brother-in-law."

"So you married his brother? Who?"

"Loki, God of Mischief."

"You married Loki?" Erik asked. He then laughed. "This is impossible."

"Nae, not impossible. I'm not Nadia Miller. I am Eir Einarsdóttir, Goddess of Healing. I married Loki when he was a bairn, due to some old pact between our families. I then left for Valkyrie training. I barely even met the lad. He was just 15. I was 20. Then a war broke out. The princes were sent away while the Valkyrie fought. I was 23. I was making my way back home, to Asgard, when I was knocked out of the Bifrost. I flew through space, and I eventually landed on Midgard. Earth, I mean. That was a thousand or so years ago."

"A thousand years ago?" Darcy asked. "Jeez, you look amazing."

"Thank ye," _Eir_ replied, just as Thor came back into the living room.

"I wanted to show you something, Na-Eir. If that's alright," Jane said to her.

"Aye, that's fine."

"How long have you been on Midgard?" Thor asked Eir.

"A thousand years, give or take. How is he?"

"Loki? He's… still himself."

"Not that I would know what the lad's like."

"I'm sure you will find out soon enough," he shrugged. "Why didn't you call for the Bifrost?"

"No one replied. I gave up hope centuries ago," Thor stood there, not knowing how to respond. He kept opening his mouth, just to close it. "Stop flappin' ya mouth, ya ain't a damn fish."

"This mortal form has grown week," Thor announced, instead of responding to Eir.

"I dinna care. Get out my house."

"Eir?"

"Get out!" She shouted, a glass from the counter shattering into pieces at the same time. Thor and the others looked at her in shock.

"How…"

"I said, get out."

"Maybe we should go," Jane said to Thor. Thor just nodded, utterly confused as to why Eir was acting this way.

"Yes," he nodded. "Maybe we should."

-0-

When Jane, Erik, and Darcy came back to their lab, they noticed government vehicles parked outside and men in black suits poking around their van. They hauled their equipment away and loaded carts with items.

"What the hell is going on here?" Jane shouted, but the Agents just ignored her. Except one, who walked up to her and introduce her.

"Ms Foster, I'm Agent Coulson, with SHIELD."

Erik looked warily at the man, seeming to have recognized the organization.

"I don't care who you work for, you can't do this!" Jane exclaimed.

"Jane, this is more serious than you realize. Let it go."

"Let it go?! This is my life!"

"He's right, ye know," a voice said from behind them. They all turned around, seeing Eir. "This is serious. Especially when _he_ shows up," she said, pointing to Coulson.

"Eir," he nodded, his face grim. Eir's face matched his until she suddenly grinned and ran at him, throwing herself into his arms.

"So good to see ye again! How long has it been?"

"2 years!" He laughed, pulling her into another hug.

"Too long," she smiled, pulling away. Then she turned back to Jane. "What have ye gotten into now?"

"Me?!" She exasperated. "They're taking my stuff!"

"We're here investigating a security threat. We need to appropriate your equipment and all your atmospheric data," Coulson told her.

"By 'appropriate' you mean 'steal'?"

Instead of answering her, Coulson gave her a cheque.

"This should more than compensate you for your trouble."

Jane threw the cheque on the ground without looking at it. "I can't just pick up replacements from RadioShack! I made most of that equipment myself!"

"Then I'm sure you can do it again," Coulson told her.

"And I'm sure I can sue you for violating my constitutional rights!"

"We're the good guys, Ms Foster," Coulson said, walking away and motioning to Eir to follow him. His path was blocked by Jane.

"So are we! We're on the verge of understanding something extraordinary," Jane tells him as she holds up her notebook. "Everything I know about this phenomenon is in this lab and in this book, and no one has the right to take it from me."

Coulson just gestured to a nearby Agent, who took the notebook out of Jane's hands and added it to the pile he was carrying. "Thank you for your cooperation. Eir!"

Eir followed Coulson into his car. Then they all pulled away, leaving Jane, Erik, and Darcy speechless.

-0-

It was night now, at the SHIELD base that Coulson had taken her to. She and Coulson were catching up when they heard someone shout into the radio.

"Agents down! We've got a perimeter breach!"

Coulson sprang up out of his seat as an alarm sounded and security lights lit up outside. Coulson let the SHIELD command trailer and marched across the mud. He looked out across the site uneasily. He turned back to see Eir standing in the doorway.

"Thor."

He nodded and climbed to the lip of the crater as a light rain began to fall. He eyed the damage of an ATV crash. Eir stayed in the command trailer, watching the CCTV as Thor fought with the SHIELD Agents. She also listened to the radio as Coulson shouted out orders.

"I want eyes up high. With a gun. Now!" He barked. Eir saw as a sniper climbed into a crane bucked and lifted it high in the air. She smiled as she recognized the man, Clint Barton. She saw as Thor threw an Agent through the wall of the junction box and then slid in the mud. Coulson hurried through the tunnel, ready to give the word to Barton when he stopped short. He saw what looked like an electrical storm erupting inside the structure ahead, directly above the crater and the hammer. Thor knocked out the Agent he was fighting with and ripped an opening in the plastic wall of the structure. He stared at his hammer resting a few metres from him. Coulson stepped into the structure through an access tunnel, one story up.

As Thor approached his hammer, Mjolnir started to glow brighter, blue electricity sparking off its surface. The crackling energy seemed to reach out to him. Coulson noticed, his interest piqued. As Thor reached out to the hammer, armed Agents lined up behind Coulson. He motioned for them to wait.

"Barton, hold your fire," he called into the radio. Thor wrapped his hand around the hammer and lifted, but the hammer didn't budge. He then looked confused and tried again with two hands, but it still didn't move. They all watched as Thor fell to his knees. The SHIELD Agents surrounded him. "Ground units, move in. Show's over."

Eir sighed as she watched as her brother-in-law was taken away by the Agents, defeated.

-00-


	3. Chapter 3

_She'd been trapped on Earth for hundreds of years, after the fight. She was young when it began. Too young, 20 years old. Barely making the minimum age for Valkryie training. She sped through it, given the fact she was a goddess. After the fight was finished and the Valkyrie defeated, Eir contacted the gatekeeper of Asgard to bring her back. As she was travelling through the Bifrost, she was knocked out, sending her falling through Space, where she eventually crashed onto Earth._

-0-

After Coulson had left Thor, Eir snuck in. She saw him sitting in a chair, his hands cuffed behind him.

"Hello," she said to him.

"Hello," he replied, avoiding Eir's gaze.

"I'm sorry fer what I said to ye back at my house. I just... cannae control myself sometimes."

"That's alright," he nodded. "I wanted to ask a question."

"Shoot," she said.

"Why would I want to-"

"It means go ahead," she cut in. "Ask yer question."

"Where did you learn your magic?

"Picked it up some time ago," she shrugged.

"Hello," a third voice called out. Eir whisked around, barely recognizing the man standing in front of her.

"Loki? What are you doing here?" Thor asked.

"I had to see you," he replied. He finally looked over to Eir, as if seeing her for the first time. "Oh, hello."

"Loki," she muttered, still in awe.

"I'm sorry, have we met before?"

After hesitating for a moment, she said, "No. We haven't."

Thor looked at her for a moment before focusing back on Loki, "What's happened? Tell me! Is it Jotunheim? Let me explain to Father-"

"Father is dead."

"What?" Thor stared at Loki, stunned.

"Your banishment, the threat of a new war, it was too much for him to bear," Loki told him, moving closer to Thor. "You mustn't blame yourself. I know that you loved him. I tried to tell him so, but we wouldn't listen. It was cruel to put the hammer within your reach, knowing you could never lift it. The burden of the throne has fallen to me now."

"Can I come home?" Thor asked.

"Can I?" Eir repeated. She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. The two men looked over to her in confusion. "1000 years I've been here. I want to go home. I want to see my family. Get to know my husband," she looked at Loki. "If ye're going home then so am I."

"I-I'm sorry," Loki said to Eir and Thor. "The truce with Jotunheim is conditional upon Thor's exile. And... who are you? You said we've never met before but you remind me of someone."

"Because I lied. Ye do know me. My name is Eir Einarsdóttir, and I'm yer wife."

Loki stared at her. "Impossible. Eir Einarsdóttier died in battle."

"Did she? Because she's standing right in front of you, brother," Thor said to her.

"It's true. I've been gone, missing, but I'm here now. I want to come home. If ye don't want me, I'll go to Elfheim, Vanaheim, _anything,_ but I want to go back. I deserve it."

Loki nodded, "I can take you back. Unfortunately, Thor... I can't bring you."

"But couldn't we find a way to-"

" _Mother_ has forbidden your return." Thor nodded, lowering his head. "This is goodbye, brother. I'm so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. Loki... thank you for coming here."

"Nothing could have stopped me."

The door opened, and when Thor looked back to the place where Loki and Eir had previously stood, they were gone.

-0-

When Eir opened her eyes again, she was standing in the throne room on Asgard. Loki was sitting on the throne, looking at Eir.

"You do realize you're the ruler along with me now, right?"

"I don't want to be," she told him, still looking around the throne room. She noticed the mural on the ceiling above Loki's head. "Ye've changed the mural. I liked the other one better."

"That mural has been there my entire life," he said, confused.

"No, it really hasn't. Because when- _Oh..._ "

"What is it?"

"They wiped your memory."

"Impossible. I would be aware."

"That's the whole point of memory wipes, ain't it?"

"We'll talk about this at another time," Loki insisted, just as the doors opened to reveal Frigga.

"Frigga?" Eir called. "Is that really ye?"

"Hello," she smiled, but the confusion on her face was clear.

"It's me, Eir."

Frigga's face turned from confusion to sadness. "Eir?"

"Aye."

Frigga ran to Eir and pulled her into a tight hug. "We all thought you were dead."

"Shit happened," Eir shrugged. She had gotten over it centuries ago.

"I must go," Loki said, suddenly behind the two women. Frigga let go of Eir but still held onto her arm. "We will talk later."

With that, he suddenly disappeared. It was as if he was never there. The only thing that let Eir know he had been standing there was the chill on the back of her neck and the hairs standing on her arms.

"Let's go get you washed up. What in Odin's name are you wearing?" Frigga said as she led Eir out of the throne room.

"Jeans."

-0-

Eir had washed and dressed in proper Asgardian clothes. She had met with Thor's friends, the Warrior Three and Lady Sif. They were eating. Well, Volstagg was eating. Fendral and Sif were pacing worriedly. Fendral couldn't stand it anymore and cut the silence in the room.

"Our dearest friend banished, Loki on the throne, Asgard on the brink of war, yet you manage to consume four wild boar, six pheasants, a side of beef, and two casks of ale. Shame on you! Don't you care?!"

Fandral moved to throw the platter in the fire, but Volstagg pulled his weapon, stopping him.

"Do not mistake my appetite for apathy," Volstagg spat.

"Stop it, both of you! We all know what we have to do, we're just too damned afraid to do it!" Sif shouted.

"We must go. We must find Thor," Hogun decided. He pulled healing stones from the fire, placing them in into a pouch that hung at his side.

"It's treason, Hogun."

"It ain't just treason. Yer beggin' fer suicide if ye think it's a good idea," Eir piped up.

"Shh!" Fendral suddenly hushed. "Heimdall may be watching It's said he can hear-"

"Heimdall is still here?" Eir asked.

"Yes, why?"

"I must speak with him."

As she said that, an Einherjar Guard entered. Everyone in the room tensed.

"Heimdall requests your presence."

-00-


	4. Chapter 4

_She'd been trapped on Earth for hundreds of years, after the fight. She was young when it began. Too young, 20 years old. Barely making the minimum age for Valkryie training. She sped through it, given the fact she was a goddess. After the fight was finished and the Valkyrie defeated, Eir contacted the gatekeeper of Asgard to bring her back. As she was travelling through the Bifrost, she was knocked out, sending her falling through Space, where she eventually crashed onto Earth._

 _-0-_

Volstagg quickly drank the rest of his ale. "We're doomed."

The five walked nervously down the hall, awaiting their doom. When the giant doors opened, they saw Heimdall standing in the middle of the room.

"Good Heimdall, let us explain-" Volstagg began, but Heimdall cut him off.

"You would defy the commands of Loki, our King, break every oath you have taken as warriors, and commit treason to bring Thor back?"

The five exchanged nervous glances before Sif responded, "Yes, but-"

"Good," Heimdall interrupted again. The group shared puzzled looks.

"So you'll help us?"

"I am bound by honour to our King. I cannot open the Bifrost to you. You may leave now. Except for Eir. I need to speak with you privately."

Sif led the warrior's three away, leaving Eir alone.

"Heimdall-"

"Child," he interrupted, with a warm smile on his face. "It's been too long."

"Aye, it has, and that's why I need to speak with ye. I had been calling for centuries. And ye never heard me? I cannae believe it."

Heimdall sighed and turned away from Eir. "It was on purpose."

"What?"

He faced her again, a solemn look on his face. "It was on purpose that I left you on Midgard. Asgard was a changing place after the battle, and it would only be more difficult for everyone if you were there. Odin tried to erase every mention of it. The-"

"The mural in the great hall," she mumbled. Heimdall just nodded.

"You being there would have complicated everything. Especially for you. You were the only survivor. Odin would have been suspicious. Once he awakens from Odinsleep, he will be."

"Wait, Odin's in Odinsleep? But Loki told me and Thor that he was dead."

"My child, Loki is... different now. I realize you never got to know him, but maybe it was good that you stayed away. Maybe you should return to Midgard. Asgard might not be the safest place for you."

"No, I've been away for thousands of years. I want to come home. I deserve to come home, don't ye think?"

Heimdall stayed silent for a few moments. "It would just be for now. Until Odin wakes from Odinsleep. Then Loki will be held accountable and you can return once he is less... volatile. Please, child. I have only ever wanted the best for you. Haven't I raised you as if you were my own, ever since you came to Asgard as a small girl? Eir, just think about it. Not for my sake, but for yours."

"I understand where yer coming from. Maybe it would be fer the best. But just until Loki calms down. Promise?"

"Promise."

-0-

"Ah, good. They left my sword," Heimdall noted once Eir and him approached the Bifrost. "Now, we must hurry before-"

"Heimdall!"

"Shit," he whispered. "Behind me, child."

Eir moved behind Heimdall as Loki stepped closer.

"I've gotten word that the warriors three have disappeared, with lady Sif. And now I find you at the Bifrost with my wife. What am I supposed to think about this?"

"Loki, please-"

"Quiet, dear. I just want to have a friendly conversation with my gatekeeper."

"Tell me, Loki, how did you get the Jotuns into Asgard?" Heimdall asked.

Loki stood up straighter and smirked. "You think the Bifrost is the only way in and out of the Realm? There are secret paths between worlds to which even you with all your gifts are blind. But I have need of them no longer, now that I am King." He made eye contact with Eir. "And I say, for your act of treason, you are relieved of your duties as Gatekeeper. And you are no longer a citizen of Asgard."

"Then I need no longer obey you," Heimdall announced, raising his sword and striding towards Loki. Eir stood, frozen, not knowing what to do or say. Loki reached out and, with both hands, took hold of something invisible, hovering in mid-air before him. As it quickly faded into view, both Eir and Heimdall saw that it was the Casket of Ancient Winters. Blueness crept from Loki's hands and up his arms, as he opened the Casket toward Heimdall, who was fast approaching. From inside the Casket, all hell broke loose. The fury of the Casket was unleashed, its winds not just howling, but screaming. Ice clung to Heimdall's' body, freezing him, but still, he moved forward. It was clear on Loki's face that he had begun to worry. Heimdall swung his sword at Loki, but the blade stopped, frozen, just centimetres from Loki's throat. Loki breathed a sigh of relief and stepped past him, towards Eir.

"I shall deal with you in a second," he told her, his voice full of anger. He inserted Gungnir into the Observatory's control panel and opened the Bifrost. He made a gesture, and the destroyer appeared before him, a fiery glow rising from within it. It turned its head toward its King. "Ensure my brother does not return."

"No!" Eir shouted, but it was too late. Loki turned to her, his brow furrowed. When he took a step closer to her, she took one further away.

"Stay," he instructed as if she was a pet. When she didn't listen, he used his magic to keep her in her place. But Eir had been practising as well, and she easily broke through his spell. "How?"

"We both had the same teacher."

"Please, Eir. Just listen to what I have to say," he said, softening his face.

"No. You just froze Heimdall and practically killed yer brother!" Eir shouted. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say."

When Eir tried to move past Loki, he grabbed her arm and held her back. "Please."

"Let go of me," she spat. He let go, and she gave him one last look before leaving him behind.

-0-

Eir wandered around the gilded Asgardian palace, her husband on her mind. When she turned a sharp corner, she nearly bumped into Frigga.

"I'm so sorry, my Queen," Eir hurried, beginning to bow. Frigga laughed and stopped her.

"No need to do that anymore, Princess Eir."

"Haven't heard that one in a while," Eir joked. "It's good to see ye again."

"It's good to see you too," she replied, pulling the Princess into a hug. "Have you heard from your family?"

Eir shook her head, "Maybe they're busy."

Frigga nodded, a tight smile on her face.

"How's Odin?"

"Not well. He's fallen into Odinsleep."

"Shit. The last time he did that was-"

"Yes, so it must be important."

"Aye," Eir agreed. "Can I see him?"

-0-

Frigga and Eir sat by Odin's bedside. Frigga held onto his hand, while Eir rested her fingers on either side of his temples. Her eyes were closed, and she was mumbling.

"He's in too deep. I can't get to him," Eir said to Frigga, opening her eyes and pulling her hands away from his forehead. "I'm sorry."

Frigga smiled, "Thank you for trying."

Suddenly, they heard shouting from outside, as if there was a battle. Frigga grabbed a sword, and Eir magically changed into her battle armour. She pulled her Dragonfang from the air and stood in a battle stance. Two Frost Giants burst in. Frigga swung her sword at one while Eir jumped onto the shoulders of one and slit their throat. The other Frost Giant swatted Frigga aside and lumbered over to where Eir was standing. It tried to reach out to her, but she rolled away, cutting off its hand. The Frost Giant let out a cry, before knocking her against the wall. Eir hit her head and had to lie down while her vision swam. Eir could see that Laufey and the Brute Frost Giant entered, and Laufey looked at Odin lying helpless on the bed. Laufey stood over Odin and formed an ice blade.

"It's said you can still see and hear what transpires around you, even in this state," Laufey began. "I hope it's true, so that you may know your death came by the hand of Laufey."

He raised his blade above Odin's body, just as a blast of energy hit him from behind. As the Jotun king fell to the ground, Eir saw that it was not Thor standing behind him, but Loki, holding Gungnir.

"And your death came by the son of Odin," Loki said. Laufey died as the other Frost Giants moved toward Loki. He fired Gungnir at one, blasting it against a wall, taking it out. The Brute was nearly upon him, when it stopped suddenly, his eyes going wide. The Brute fell to the ground, revealing Frigga standing behind him - her sword stuck in his back. She looked at Loki and took him in her arms. "I swear to you, mother, they will pay for what they've done today. I will end the Jotun threat, now and forever!" He looked at Odin. "And I will make you proud.

Loki moved to Eir's body, crouching down beside her. Thor burst into the room. Frigga pulled him into a hug, but Thor's eyes remained fixed on Loki and Eir.

"Is she alright?" Thor asked.

"She will be better," Loki replied, offering Eir a smile, which she returned. Loki looked over to his brother, seeing Mjolnir in his hand. "Found its way back to you, did it?"

"No thanks to you," Thor said, squaring his shoulders. Frigga could sense the tension building between her sons. Loki helped Eir sit up. He placed a kiss on her forehead before standing up and facing his brother and mother.

"What?" Frigga questioned.

"Why don't you tell her? How you sent the Destroyer to kill our friends? To kill me?"

Frigga looked to Loki, alarmed and confused. Eir's head hurt too much to react, but inside she was cursing.

"It must have been enforcing Father's last command," Loki shrugged.

"You're a talented liar, brother. Always has been."

Loki smiled, "It's good to have you back. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to destroy Jotunheim."

Loki raised Gungnir and fired it, point-blank, at Thor. Thor went flying backwards, smashing through the chamber walls, and through another wall on the opposite side of the corridor, where he finally plummeted from the palace.

"Loki," Eir called out. He turned towards her, a sick smile on his face. "Ye stupid, stupid man."

"I really should go, before he comes back."

Eir stood up and retrieved Dragonfang from the floor. "Ye will have to go through me first."

He scoffed, "You are in no position to fight. And why on Asgard would you want to stop me?"

"I'm a Valkryie - we're always in a position to fight. And destroying a whole realm isn't the way to go about this."

"I'm not going to fight you," he said, lowering Gungnir. He stepped closer to Eir. "You're my wife."

"And ye're my husband. But if ye won't fight me, ye're not leaving this room."

Loki paused for a moment, "Then I'm very sorry to do this."

He reached a hand out to her forehead and then all Eir knew was blackness.

-00-


	5. Chapter 5

_She'd been trapped on Earth for hundreds of years, after the fight. She was young when it began. Too young, 20 years old. Barely making the minimum age for Valkryie training. She sped through it, given the fact she was a goddess. After the fight was finished and the Valkyrie defeated, Eir contacted the gatekeeper of Asgard to bring her back. As she was travelling through the Bifrost, she was knocked out, sending her falling through Space, where she eventually crashed onto Earth._

 _-0-_

" _Get up," a voice called. "Get up and fight, my lady."_

" _Lady?" She chuckled, "I am no lady on the battlefield."_

" _Apologies, sister. Now get your ass up and fight."_

Eir woke up in a cold sweat. Frigga was a few centimetres away from her face. Eir scooted away from her.

"Ye didn't stop him?" She asked.

Frigga sighed, "My son is many things, unstoppable is one of them."

"I need to get to him before he does something stupid."

"I assume he's at the Bifrost Conservatory."

Frigga helped Eir stand up, and handed her her Dragonfang.

"I trust that Elva is still in her place?" Eir asked her, sheathing her Dragonfang and fixing her armour. Frigga gave her a knowing smile.

"Of course. If you're quick, you might be able to catch up with him."

Eir nodded and began to run out of the room. She stopped for a moment and turned back to Frigga. "Thank ye. For all ye've done for me."

"Of course, my child. Now go!"

-0-

Eir turned corners and ran down flights of stairs, finally reaching the palace's stables. She navigated down a long hallway until she finally reached her destination. When she stopped in front of the old wooden door, she read the nameplate above her head.

Elva, Royal Steed to the Princess of Álfheim and Asgard, Eir Einarsdóttir

"Hello, old friend," Eir called out into the darkness. She heard rustling before a familiar face peeked its head out of the stable door. A beautiful brown horse with a long dark mane, stepped out to greet her. "It's been so long."

Elva blew out air and shook her mane. Eir led her out of the stable and climbed on Elva's back. "Hyah!"

Elva took off running, with Eir grasping her mane and leading her to the rainbow bridge. Elva was fast, but Loki had a good headstart. She kicked Elva to go faster, and she sped through the streets of Asgard. Eir called out sorrys to people she almost knocked over. When she reached the outskirts of the city, she was almost stopped by guards.

"Stop, I say!" A guard shouted, but Eir blew past him. When the gate began to close, Eir begged Elva to go faster, but she was too slow. Eir steered Elva to the left, moving towards a low point in the gate. When Elva was less than a metre away, Eir made her jump. Elva soared over the gate and landed safely on the other side. Elva kept a fast pace, and when the Observatory came into sight, Eir jumped off Elva's back and ran the rest of the way. As Eir got closer, she could see that the turret was spinning quickly. Just as she entered the Observatory, the turret began firing the Bifrost's energy into space. Thor burst into the Observatory, shielding his eyes from the brilliant light of the Bifrost energy. Eir and Thor looked over to the controls and saw that they were frozen in an enormous block of ice. Loki stood atop it.

"All these years and no one's ever dared to use it as a weapon," Loki smirked. Thor hurried to the ice and raised his hammer to smash through it. Before he could, Loki fired Gungnir. The blast hit the ice in front of hor, blasting him back across the floor. Loki stepped down from the ice as Thor staggered to his feet. Eir unsheathed Dragonfang as Loki stepped closer to her. "Ah, my dear wife. Ever loyal to the end. But who are you loyal to? Your husband? Your realm?"

"I'm loyal to myself, dear husband."

Loki scoffed, "You can't stop it. The Bifrost will build until it rips Jotunheim apart."

"Why have you done this?" Thor asked, back on his feet.

"To do what father never could. To destroy their kind forever. When he awakens, he'll see the wisdom of what I've done."

"He won't! You can't kill an entire race."

"This is genocide, Loki. Can't ye see the flaws in your plan?"

Ignoring Eir, Loki continued. "What is this newfound love for the Frost Giants? You, who would have killed them all with your bare hands."

"I've changed," Thor offered.

"So have I," Loki rebutted, raising Gungnir. Eir blocked his strike with her Dragonfang, throwing him off his rhythm. Loki was quick to move away and attempt to disarm her. Loki was a good fighter, but Eir was better. She defended every blow he attempted to throw at her. She could see him getting frustrated. Thor raced over to the controls while Loki and Eir fought. Loki saw this, spun around, and fired a blast which immobilized Thor in the air. He hung there, suspended. While Loki had his back to her, she cut his side.

"That was a warning. If this continues, I will do much worse to ye," she threatened. Loki sneered, moving away from her. He prepared to fire another blast, but Eir rolled out the way.

"Stay still!" Loki shouted, before using his magic against her. Eir was unprepared for this and fell under his spell, unable to move.

"Is the throne really worth what you've done? What you would become? You're fighting your brother and wife, for Odin's sake!" Thor shouted at him.

"I never wanted the throne. I only wanted to be your equal. Now fight me!" Loki said, and with a gesture of Gungnir, flung Thor to the ground. Thor rose to his feet and turned to Loki. Eir tried to get out of her magical bonds, but as she struggled, they seemed to get tighter.

"I will not fight you, brother."

"I am not your brother. I never was," Loki spat.

"Loki, this is madness."

Loki grinned, "Is it?" He fired Gungnir at Thor once again. Thor dodged the blast and rolled to his feet. "What happened to you on Earth that turned you so soft? Don't tell me it was a woman." When Thor didn't answer, Loki laughed and realized he was right. "It was. Perhaps when we're finished here I'll pay her a little visit myself."

"Watch your words, husband. A woman doesn't make a man weaker. She makes one stronger," Eir called out. While Thor and Loki were talking, she had broken free from her bonds.

"You say that, yet whose side are you on? You say that a woman makes a man stronger, yet here you are, threatening me."

Thor rushed toward Loki, but Loki blocked him. Eir ran to Thor's aid, attempting to get Gungnir out of his hands.

"I don't want to hurt ye, but know that I will."

Loki just laughed, spinning out of Thor and Eir's grasp and pointing Gungnir at them. The Bifrost kept growing and growing. Loki kept trying to fire Gungnir at both Thor and Eir. One blast hit Thor, sending him sliding across the floor and knocking Mjolnir from his hand. Mjolnir flew into the Bifrost towards Jotunheim. Thor raised his hand toward the hammer to try and summon it, but the Bifrost was too powerful. Eir and Loki clashed weapons, with Eir putting all of her body weight to try to push Loki back. Thor slid towards the Bifrost.

"After this, we should get to know each other more. You know, as husband and wife," Loki said as he pushed back, making Eir stumble backwards.

"It will be hard to do that while ye're in a jail cell," Eir grunted, running towards Loki and thrusting at him with Dragonfang. She cut his arm, and he grabbed her and threw Dragonfang across the room. He pointed Gungnir towards her throat and backed her against the wall, still holding her arm. "Loki-"

Thor burst out of nowhere, being pulled away by Mjolnir. Thor grabbed Loki and pulled him away with him. Unfortunately, Loki was still holding on to Eir, so she got pulled away too. She held onto his armour tightly, afraid that he might drop her given the chance. They crashed through the Observatory dome and landed hard on the rainbow bridge. Eir rolled and almost fell over the edge, barely grabbing a hold of it in time. She dangled over the edge, calling out.

"Loki! Help me!" She shouted out. She tried to not look down, but her eyes got the best of her. Her fingers began to slip when Thor finally grabbed her wrist. She let out a sigh of relief, just as Loki stabbed Thor in the chest with Gungnir. Loki lifted Thor into the air, impaled on the spear, and hurled him across the bridge. When Loki saw that Eir was still dangling, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. He held her in his arms.

"Are you alright?" He asked, seeming genuinely concerned. Thor came behind him and tried to swing at him with Mjolnir, but it passed right through him. It was just an illusion. Instantly, another Loki appeared next to him. Thor swung again, but that too was an illusion. Loki after Loki appeared. Eir ran into the Observatory and grabbed Dragonfang. She looked around the controls, at a loss for what to do. She heard lightning outside and ran back to where Loki and Thor was. She saw that Thor had put Mjolnir on Loki's chest, keeping him on the ground. Thor locked eyes with Eir. He too didn't know what to do. "Look at you, the Mighty Thor and the Last Valkyrie. With all your strength, what good does it do you now?" Eir knew he was right. Thor looked down at the bridge beneath his feet, vibrating from the force and speed of the Bifrost energy feeding into the Observatory. Eir got an idea.

"Thor! Destroy the bridge!"

Thor extended his hand toward Loki, summoning Mjolnir. The hammer went flying to his grasp, and Eir ran over to Loki to keep him on the ground. Thor raised Mjolnir into the air. Clouds formed above the trio, thunder rumbling. Lightning arced off of his hammer, as he channelled the power of the storm into it then - he striked Mjolnir down upon the rainbow bridge. The blow was massive, causing a rumbling along the whole bridge, shaking the Observatory itself. A crack appeared where the blow struck.

"Stop! What are you doing!?" Loki shouted. He began to rise, but Eir pressed Dragonfang to his neck, stopping him on his knees. Thor lifted the hammer again, bringing it down harder. The crack grew bigger. The Bifrost energy started to stream out from it. "If you destroy the bridge, you'll never see her again!"

"Ye'd better be quiet, dear husband. I believe ye would like to keep your tongue."

Loki chuckled, "It seems like you and I were a right match after all. It will be interesting getting to know you."

Eir let down her guard for one second when he said that. Thor raised Mjolnir once again, drawing lightning to it from all sides, and brought it down with a final, terrible blow. The Bifrost shattered, energy exploding out of it. The three of them were hurled into the air by the force of the blast. A wave of destruction moved forward along the bridge toward the Observatory, breaking it apart as it goes. The Observatory ripped apart. As Loki and Eir fell together, she grabbed hold of one end of Gungnir while Loki clutched the other. They both fell towards the massive wave of Bifrost energy which spewed out from the broken bridge. They're an instant from being blasted by the destructive force of the energy, carried away by the current, pulverized by the debris when Thor caught Eir's leg. Eir dangled there, holding onto Gungnir as Loki hung from the other end.

"Thor, pull us up!" Eir shouted.

"No," Loki stopped him, searching Eir's face. "I'm sorry."

"Fer what?" Eir asked, just as Loki let go of Gungnir. "No!"

But it was too late. Thor and Eir could only watch as Loki fell into the rushing torrent of Bifrost energy. It carried him away, along with the debris of the bridge and the Observatory, disappearing out of sight. Thor pulled Eir up onto the bridge. Drained, Eir fell back into his arms.

"It is over," a voice called out. Thor and Eir looked over to see Odin standing on the remains of the bridge. Eir stood up, stumbling to her feet.

"This is yer fault! All he ever wanted-"

"You best be careful, Princess. You might forget who you're talking to."

"To hell with that! That was yer son!" Eir shouted.

"Loki was not my son. He was a bastard Jotun that I took in."

"What?" Eir muttered, stumbling back into Thor's arms.

-0-

Eir watched from above as a feast was held in the Great Hall. Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three sat among the gathered Asgardians. Hogun sat between Fandarl and Volstagg, who was in the middle of recounting their battle with the Destroyer. Eir felt someone approach from behind her. She flinched slightly when Frigga placed a hand on her shoulder. A tear betrayed Eir's stone-cold face as Frigga pulled her into a hug.

"I barely even knew him," Eir cried. "I don't know why I feel so sad. I feel like this is the greatest loss of my life. This is worse than when I lost all of my sisters."

"Shh, my child. I know how you feel. I am feeling the same way. It just means that the bond between you and Loki was greater than anyone thought."

"But I barely knew him. We got married and then I left for battle. And then I've been on Midgard."

"My dear," Frigga smiled. "It was not a kind of bond that one could create. Everyone is connected to someone. Their soulmate, if you wish. This kind of bond transcends all forms, all lives. You and Loki have been together before, in another life. And you will be together in another after this."

Eir wiped her nose. "So ye're saying that when I die, I will get to see Loki again?"

"Not in the same form. He probably wouldn't even be called Loki. You might not be Eir. But yes, your souls would be together again," Frigga confirmed.

"Thank you, my queen," Eir bowed, leaving the Hall and returning to her quarters. That night, Eir unsheathed her Dragonfang for the last time. She gazed upon the night sky and brought her loyal sword to her stomach. "We will be together again, dear husband. I swear it."

-00-

rth for hundreds of years, after the fight. She was young when it began. Too young, 20 years old. Barely making the minimum age for Valkryie training. She sped through it, given the fact she was a goddess. After the fight was finished and the Valkyrie defeated, Eir contacted the gatekeeper of Asgard to bring her back. As she was travelling through the Bifrost, she was knocked out, sending her falling through Space, where she eventually crashed onto Earth.

-0-

"Get up," a voice called. "Get up and fight, my lady."

"Lady?" She chuckled, "I am no lady on the battlefield."

"Apologies, sister. Now get your ass up and fight."

Eir woke up in a cold sweat. Frigga was a few centimetres away from her face. Eir scooted away from her.

"Ye didn't stop him?" She asked.

Frigga sighed, "My son is many things, unstoppable is one of them."

"I need to get to him before he does something stupid."

"I assume he's at the Bifrost Conservatory."

Frigga helped Eir stand up, and handed her her Dragonfang.

"I trust that Elva is still in her place?" Eir asked her, sheathing her Dragonfang and fixing her armour. Frigga gave her a knowing smile.

"Of course. If you're quick, you might be able to catch up with him."

Eir nodded and began to run out of the room. She stopped for a moment and turned back to Frigga. "Thank ye. For all ye've done for me."

"Of course, my child. Now go!"

-0-

Eir turned corners and ran down flights of stairs, finally reaching the palace's stables. She navigated down a long hallway until she finally reached her destination. When she stopped in front of the old wooden door, she read the nameplate above her head.

Elva, Royal Steed to the Princess of Álfheim and Asgard, Eir Einarsdóttir

"Hello, old friend," Eir called out into the darkness. She heard rustling before a familiar face peeked its head out of the stable door. A beautiful brown horse with a long dark mane, stepped out to greet her. "It's been so long."

Elva blew out air and shook her mane. Eir led her out of the stable and climbed on Elva's back. "Hyah!"

Elva took off running, with Eir grasping her mane and leading her to the rainbow bridge. Elva was fast, but Loki had a good headstart. She kicked Elva to go faster, and she sped through the streets of Asgard. Eir called out sorrys to people she almost knocked over. When she reached the outskirts of the city, she was almost stopped by guards.

"Stop, I say!" A guard shouted, but Eir blew past him. When the gate began to close, Eir begged Elva to go faster, but she was too slow. Eir steered Elva to the left, moving towards a low point in the gate. When Elva was less than a metre away, Eir made her jump. Elva soared over the gate and landed safely on the other side. Elva kept a fast pace, and when the Observatory came into sight, Eir jumped off Elva's back and ran the rest of the way. As Eir got closer, she could see that the turret was spinning quickly. Just as she entered the Observatory, the turret began firing the Bifrost's energy into space. Thor burst into the Observatory, shielding his eyes from the brilliant light of the Bifrost energy. Eir and Thor looked over to the controls and saw that they were frozen in an enormous block of ice. Loki stood atop it.

"All these years and no one's ever dared to use it as a weapon," Loki smirked. Thor hurried to the ice and raised his hammer to smash through it. Before he could, Loki fired Gungnir. The blast hit the ice in front of hor, blasting him back across the floor. Loki stepped down from the ice as Thor staggered to his feet. Eir unsheathed Dragonfang as Loki stepped closer to her. "Ah, my dear wife. Ever loyal to the end. But who are you loyal to? Your husband? Your realm?"

"I'm loyal to myself, dear husband."

Loki scoffed, "You can't stop it. The Bifrost will build until it rips Jotunheim apart."

"Why have you done this?" Thor asked, back on his feet.

"To do what father never could. To destroy their kind forever. When he awakens, he'll see the wisdom of what I've done."

"He won't! You can't kill an entire race."

"This is genocide, Loki. Can't ye see the flaws in your plan?"

Ignoring Eir, Loki continued. "What is this newfound love for the Frost Giants? You, who would have killed them all with your bare hands."

"I've changed," Thor offered.

"So have I," Loki rebutted, raising Gungnir. Eir blocked his strike with her Dragonfang, throwing him off his rhythm. Loki was quick to move away and attempt to disarm her. Loki was a good fighter, but Eir was better. She defended every blow he attempted to throw at her. She could see him getting frustrated. Thor raced over to the controls while Loki and Eir fought. Loki saw this, spun around, and fired a blast which immobilized Thor in the air. He hung there, suspended. While Loki had his back to her, she cut his side.

"That was a warning. If this continues, I will do much worse to ye," she threatened. Loki sneered, moving away from her. He prepared to fire another blast, but Eir rolled out the way.

"Stay still!" Loki shouted, before using his magic against her. Eir was unprepared for this and fell under his spell, unable to move.

"Is the throne really worth what you've done? What you would become? You're fighting your brother and wife, for Odin's sake!" Thor shouted at him.

"I never wanted the throne. I only wanted to be your equal. Now fight me!" Loki said, and with a gesture of Gungnir, flung Thor to the ground. Thor rose to his feet and turned to Loki. Eir tried to get out of her magical bonds, but as she struggled, they seemed to get tighter.

"I will not fight you, brother."

"I am not your brother. I never was," Loki spat.

"Loki, this is madness."

Loki grinned, "Is it?" He fired Gungnir at Thor once again. Thor dodged the blast and rolled to his feet. "What happened to you on Earth that turned you so soft? Don't tell me it was a woman." When Thor didn't answer, Loki laughed and realized he was right. "It was. Perhaps when we're finished here I'll pay her a little visit myself."

"Watch your words, husband. A woman doesn't make a man weaker. She makes one stronger," Eir called out. While Thor and Loki were talking, she had broken free from her bonds.

"You say that, yet whose side are you on? You say that a woman makes a man stronger, yet here you are, threatening me."

Thor rushed toward Loki, but Loki blocked him. Eir ran to Thor's aid, attempting to get Gungnir out of his hands.

"I don't want to hurt ye, but know that I will."

Loki just laughed, spinning out of Thor and Eir's grasp and pointing Gungnir at them. The Bifrost kept growing and growing. Loki kept trying to fire Gungnir at both Thor and Eir. One blast hit Thor, sending him sliding across the floor and knocking Mjolnir from his hand. Mjolnir flew into the Bifrost towards Jotunheim. Thor raised his hand toward the hammer to try and summon it, but the Bifrost was too powerful. Eir and Loki clashed weapons, with Eir putting all of her body weight to try to push Loki back. Thor slid towards the Bifrost.

"After this, we should get to know each other more. You know, as husband and wife," Loki said as he pushed back, making Eir stumble backwards.

"It will be hard to do that while ye're in a jail cell," Eir grunted, running towards Loki and thrusting at him with Dragonfang. She cut his arm, and he grabbed her and threw Dragonfang across the room. He pointed Gungnir towards her throat and backed her against the wall, still holding her arm. "Loki-"

Thor burst out of nowhere, being pulled away by Mjolnir. Thor grabbed Loki and pulled him away with him. Unfortunately, Loki was still holding on to Eir, so she got pulled away too. She held onto his armour tightly, afraid that he might drop her given the chance. They crashed through the Observatory dome and landed hard on the rainbow bridge. Eir rolled and almost fell over the edge, barely grabbing a hold of it in time. She dangled over the edge, calling out.

"Loki! Help me!" She shouted out. She tried to not look down, but her eyes got the best of her. Her fingers began to slip when Thor finally grabbed her wrist. She let out a sigh of relief, just as Loki stabbed Thor in the chest with Gungnir. Loki lifted Thor into the air, impaled on the spear, and hurled him across the bridge. When Loki saw that Eir was still dangling, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. He held her in his arms.

"Are you alright?" He asked, seeming genuinely concerned. Thor came behind him and tried to swing at him with Mjolnir, but it passed right through him. It was just an illusion. Instantly, another Loki appeared next to him. Thor swung again, but that too was an illusion. Loki after Loki appeared. Eir ran into the Observatory and grabbed Dragonfang. She looked around the controls, at a loss for what to do. She heard lightning outside and ran back to where Loki and Thor was. She saw that Thor had put Mjolnir on Loki's chest, keeping him on the ground. Thor locked eyes with Eir. He too didn't know what to do. "Look at you, the Mighty Thor and the Last Valkyrie. With all your strength, what good does it do you now?" Eir knew he was right. Thor looked down at the bridge beneath his feet, vibrating from the force and speed of the Bifrost energy feeding into the Observatory. Eir got an idea.

"Thor! Destroy the bridge!"

Thor extended his hand toward Loki, summoning Mjolnir. The hammer went flying to his grasp, and Eir ran over to Loki to keep him on the ground. Thor raised Mjolnir into the air. Clouds formed above the trio, thunder rumbling. Lightning arced off of his hammer, as he channelled the power of the storm into it then - he striked Mjolnir down upon the rainbow bridge. The blow was massive, causing a rumbling along the whole bridge, shaking the Observatory itself. A crack appeared where the blow struck.

"Stop! What are you doing!?" Loki shouted. He began to rise, but Eir pressed Dragonfang to his neck, stopping him on his knees. Thor lifted the hammer again, bringing it down harder. The crack grew bigger. The Bifrost energy started to stream out from it. "If you destroy the bridge, you'll never see her again!"

"Ye'd better be quiet, dear husband. I believe ye would like to keep your tongue."

Loki chuckled, "It seems like you and I were a right match after all. It will be interesting getting to know you."

Eir let down her guard for one second when he said that. Thor raised Mjolnir once again, drawing lightning to it from all sides, and brought it down with a final, terrible blow. The Bifrost shattered, energy exploding out of it. The three of them were hurled into the air by the force of the blast. A wave of destruction moved forward along the bridge toward the Observatory, breaking it apart as it goes. The Observatory ripped apart. As Loki and Eir fell together, she grabbed hold of one end of Gungnir while Loki clutched the other. They both fell towards the massive wave of Bifrost energy which spewed out from the broken bridge. They're an instant from being blasted by the destructive force of the energy, carried away by the current, pulverized by the debris when Thor caught Eir's leg. Eir dangled there, holding onto Gungnir as Loki hung from the other end.

"Thor, pull us up!" Eir shouted.

"No," Loki stopped him, searching Eir's face. "I'm sorry."

"Fer what?" Eir asked, just as Loki let go of Gungnir. "No!"

But it was too late. Thor and Eir could only watch as Loki fell into the rushing torrent of Bifrost energy. It carried him away, along with the debris of the bridge and the Observatory, disappearing out of sight. Thor pulled Eir up onto the bridge. Drained, Eir fell back into his arms.

"It is over," a voice called out. Thor and Eir looked over to see Odin standing on the remains of the bridge. Eir stood up, stumbling to her feet.

"This is yer fault! All he ever wanted-"

"You best be careful, Princess. You might forget who you're talking to."

"To hell with that! That was yer son!" Eir shouted.

"Loki was not my son. He was a bastard Jotun that I took in."

"What?" Eir muttered, stumbling back into Thor's arms.

-0-

Eir watched from above as a feast was held in the Great Hall. Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three sat among the gathered Asgardians. Hogun sat between Fandarl and Volstagg, who was in the middle of recounting their battle with the Destroyer. Eir felt someone approach from behind her. She flinched slightly when Frigga placed a hand on her shoulder. A tear betrayed Eir's stone-cold face as Frigga pulled her into a hug.

"I barely even knew him," Eir cried. "I don't know why I feel so sad. I feel like this is the greatest loss of my life. This is worse than when I lost all of my sisters."

"Shh, my child. I know how you feel. I am feeling the same way. It just means that the bond between you and Loki was greater than anyone thought."

"But I barely knew him. We got married and then I left for battle. And then I've been on Midgard."

"My dear," Frigga smiled. "It was not a kind of bond that one could create. Everyone is connected to someone. Their soulmate, if you wish. This kind of bond transcends all forms, all lives. You and Loki have been together before, in another life. And you will be together in another after this."

Eir wiped her nose. "So ye're saying that when I die, I will get to see Loki again?"

"Not in the same form. He probably wouldn't even be called Loki. You might not be Eir. But yes, your souls would be together again," Frigga confirmed.

"Thank you, my queen," Eir bowed, leaving the Hall and returning to her quarters. That night, Eir unsheathed her Dragonfang for the last time. She gazed upon the night sky and brought her loyal sword to her stomach. "We will be together again, dear husband. I swear it."

-00-


End file.
